Draft-gear.



A. L. STANFORD.

DRAFT GEAR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29, 1908.

Patented July 6, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 A. L. STANFORD.

DRAFT GEAR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29, 1908.

Patented. Julia, 1909.

pivoted friction arm adapted to cooperate ARTHUR L. STANFORD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

DRAFT-GEAR.

No. senses.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented July 6, 1909.

Application filed June 29, 1908. Serial No. 440,824.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l', Ami-rim L; STANFORD, acitizen. of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and'State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Draft-Gears, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is intended to secure a very high and. efficient frictional action without the employment of wedge blocks and wedges, which are objectionable for the reason that they frequently bind or jam in the casing. Furthermore, on the release of frictional members of this character, a heavy grinding action and unnecessary wear take place,

which this invention obviates. Draft mechanism of the wedge character mentioned ordinarily changes the direction of the line of pressure, which is objectionable in that it subjects the walls of the gearing to bursting strains delivered at concentric points.

The object of the present invention is to overcome the objections above noted, and provide a draft gearing having a powerful frictional action which will be maintained substantially in the line of pressure and. distributed proportionately to such portions of the casing as are intended to withstand the strain.

The invention contemplates the use of a with two friction shoes which turn within friction blocks against wh ch the pressure is directed. The several friction members above enumerated are so positioned and constructed that each will maintain a frictional action with respect to the others, whereby numerous points of frictional Contact are provided and a very high efficiency secured.

The friction members are intended to be so positioned and arranged within the casing that they can be renewed from time to time without disarranging the more permanent portions of the mechanism. In addition to the friction members, the gearing employs springs, which are intended to cooperate with the friction members in maintaining their proper rco'-action with one another and in prov ding a spring act on which supplements the frictional action of the gearing.

Further objects will appear from the detailed description of the inventionpwhich;

consists 11 1c features of construction and combination. ,of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

tion of the draft gearing of the present invention as applied to a draw bar and coupling head ofstandard construction; Fig. 2 a sectional plan view of the gearing, taken. through the center thereof and showing the gearing 'in uncompressed condition; Fig. 3 a similar View, showing the gearing subjected to a maximum compression; Fig. 4 a longitudinal sectional elevation, taken through the center of the gearing; Fig. 5 a cross sectional view, taken on line 55 of Fig.- 4 and Fig. 6 a perspective view of the frictional members of the gearing. r

The gearing comprises a substantially rectangular casing having sidewalls 8 and 9, a-

floor 10, and a top 11. The casing further comprises a rear end wall 12 provided with ing are further reinforced by a short tapered web 18 which lies within the corner or angle between the end of the side wall and the flange. The top and bottom walls of the easing are reinforced by means of longitudinally extending ribs 19, which afford a bearing having a draft yoke 20 of standard construction, the faces of which yoke rest upon-the ribs 19, which ribs are rounded, at their rear ends 21, at the point where they merge into the top and bottonrflangcs 1e and 15, respectively. casing finds a bearing against suitable stops or shoulders 22,,which are secured to the car sills 23 in the usual manner.

The forward end of the casing is open, and

The reinforced end wall of the has entered thereinto an outer frictionala set of similar rear friction blocks, of whic 28 representsthe outer pair of blocks, and 29 the intermediate block. 'Interposed; be-

tween the forward and rear sets of friction provided with flat liiearing faces,

blocks are a set of'swinging friction arms, of which indicates the outer arms, and 31 the intermediate arm. The friction arms are which one gage the flat inner faces of the friction blocks. Both outer friction arms are hinged to the same side of the casing by means of a heavy pivot pin 32, which is entered through a protuberant boss 33, suitably slotted to re.- ceive the projecting ends of the outer arms. In like .manner, the intermediate friction arm is hinged to the casing by means of heavy pivot pin 34, entered through a protuberant boss 35 slotted or cut away in the center to provide an opening 36 for the projection therethrough of the pivoted end of the friction arm. Keys 37 are provided to prevent the turning of the pivot pins which, being held stationary, maintain a heavy frictional action with the friction arms which A has been subjected to its maximum compression, the frictional arms will be thrown from their forwardly projected position to the position shown in Fig. 3, in which the centers of the arms are thrown to-the rear of a transverse line between the two pivotal points. In shifting their positions to the extent indi cated, a heavy frictional sliding action will be maintained between the flat faces of the friction arms and the co-acting flat inner faces of the friction blocks, which blocks, boring the travel indicated, will be turned to a very considerable are in order to maintain contact with the swinging friction arms, and this turning sets up an additional frictional action between the friction blocks and the recessed socket member 24 and a similar rear 3 socket member The forward socket member is provided with an outwardly projecting stop 39, which is encircled by a heavy forward spring 4.0. The outer coil of the spring is out down or tapered to provide a flat bearing surface for a follower plate 41, which bears against an enlarged inner head 42 on a draft bar 43 having an unflared head 44; of standard formation at its outer end, The forward spring 40 is supplemented by outer and inner rear springs 45 and 46, respectively, which are concentric with one another and bear against the flat rear face of the rear socket member 38. The inner spring is positioned by means of bosses 47 and 48, formed on the rear wall of the casing and the rear face of the socket member 38, respectively.

In use, the slight shocks or jars will be takenup by the forward spring 410, without bringing the frictional members into play and without appreciably compressing the rear springs. In case of heavier shocks or jars, the forward spring will be compressed until. the follower plate a1 is brought into contact with the forwardly extending stop 39, which prevents further compression of the forward. spring and prevents jamming of the spring. A continued thrust of the follower plate simultane'ously'sets up a frictional. action and a spring action, causing the forward socket member-to exerts pressure through. the socket friction members and against the swinging friction arms. This movement, imparted to the arms, swings them on their pivotal bearings, in opposition to one anothen In view of the fact that the arms swing in the arc of a circle, it is obvious that a considerable lateral movement will be imparted to the arms, the bearing faces of which are in contact with friction. members which are held again st lateral movement and arecapable only of a turning movement. In order to maintain the contact between. the mii-ml'iers, a double frictional action will take place, involving a lateral or sliding mo vcnient between the swinging frictional. arms and the turningfriction blocks and this sliding movement will be simplcmentml by the turning movement of the friction blocks within their respective recesses. Simultaneously with the movement of the frictional 111cm hers, the rear springs will be brought into play and a compression of such springs will take place iromrtionate to the inovenwnt of the fric l 1 tion members. The limit of compression of the springs will be reached when the 0nd of the projecting stop member 39 is forced back into register with the forward open end of the casing, which will arrest further movement of the follower plate andlock the gearing in a manner to prevent jamming of the rear springs.

The pressure will be distributedto the rear end and sides of the casing, which. sides receive a considerable proportion of the strain, by reason of the frictional action between the swinging friction arms and their pivotal mountings, and this distribution of the strain reduces the possibility of a breakage and en ables the casing to be suitably reinforced at the necessary points. The formation of the friction members is one which enables the parts to be very compactly arranged, and the nature of the device is one which enables the frictional members to be readily removed. after excessive wear without disturbing the more permanent portions of the draftgearing. The structure is substantially symmetrical with respect to its longitudinal center, so that the strain will be equally distributed to bothsides of the casing, and the absence of wedging surfaces eliminates the possibility of locking or cramping of the parts. At the same time the large number of co-acting frictional elements provides a very high frictional 7 ii efficiency, and an even and instant return of the parts to normal position when relieved from pressure.

What I regard as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

I. In a draft gearing, the combination of a pivoted friction arm adapted to swing in the are of a circle, a socket member, and a frietion block mounted to turnwithin the socket member and held in frictional contact with the pivoted arm, substantially as described.

2. In a draft gearing, the combination of a pivoted friction arm adapted to swing in the are of a circle, socket members located fore and aft of the pivoted friction arm, and forward and rear friction blocks adapted to turn within the socket members and held in frictional contact with the pivoted friction.

contact with the pivoted friction arm's, for-' ward and rear socket'members withinwhich the forward and. rear sets of friction blocksare adapted to turn, and a spring bearing 5 against the rearsocket membensubstantially as described.

4. In a draft gearing, the combination of a casing, friction arms pivoted to opposite sides of the casing and having flat friction faces, forward and rear sets of friction blocks of semi-circular formation having flat inner faces in contact with the flat faces of the friction arms, forward and rear socket members having rounded. concavitics receiving the rounded outer faces of the friction blocks,

, and a spring within the casing bearing against the rear socket member, substantially as described.

5. In a draft gearing, the combination of a casing, two outer friction arms pivoted to thesame side of the casing, an intermediate frictionarm pivoted to the opposite side of the casing, all. of the arms having flat friction faces, forward and rear sets of friction blocks of semi-circular formation having fiat inner faces engaging the hat faces of the pivoted friction arms, forward. and rear socket men1- hers having rounded concavities receiving the rounded outer faces of the friction blocks, the friction arms, when in uncompressed position, extending obliquely forward in opposite directions with respect to one another, and a rear spring within the casing bearing against the rear socket member, substantially as described.

6. In a draft gearing, a friction block having oppositely disposed flat and curved faces, a pivoted friction arm engaging one of the faces of the friction block and having a surface contour of a shape to register with said face, and a friction member engaging the.

blocks, each having oppositely disposed flat and curved faces, a pivoted friction arm intermediatesaid blocks and having faces of a contour to register with the adjacent inner faces of the friction blocks, and friction mem- .bers having a eontour'to engage with the outer faces of the friction blocks, substan tially as. described.

I 8. In a draft gearing, two pairs of friction blocks, each block having oppositely dis posed flat and curved faces, two pivoted friction arms intermediate the two pairs of friction blocks, each of the arms having faces of a contour to register with the inner faces of theadjacent friction blocks, and members having a contour to register with the outer faces of the friction blocks, substantially as 

